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Designer (S)Talk: Jill Sorensen /Marmalade Interiors

When I came across Jill Sorensen's blog Live Like You, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I just kept opening one great image or post after another. And then I stumbled onto her portfolio and had an "AHA!" moment. I have had this image in my favorites file and was so excited to finally see more.

I contacted Jill because I was so impressed with

A) her design philosophy (read her "Live Like You" guide to creating your space here, its a serious "AMEN sister!"), B) her bold approach to color and C) the fact that she can juggle so many things at once

(she's a Mom, a blogger, runs her design firm Marmalade Interiors as well as several charities she has founded). She is also insanely talented and living my design fantasy... Here in the states she lives in a color drenched home, but she has a second home in her native Sweden that is primarily white accented by whatever punches of color she fancies.

I was having a serious design crush.

I wanted to know more, and she was gracious enough to answer...

Who are your design/color icons?

I would have to say Tony Duquette, Dorothy Draper, Kelly Wearstler, David Hicks, Ruthie Summers. All of them use and used color in such a fearless, interesting yet fun and happy way. There are no colors that clash. I would also have to add Coco Chanel-I'm crazy about black and white graphics and she did them the best.

What is your favorite color/ color combination at the moment?

I have a new one every day! Orange and blues with citron and white, or navy and yellow with black and white, fern green and aqua, I could go on and on. I'm like a kid in a candy store with color.

I really love this color combination of lavender, aqua and punchy yellow...

and notice the lamps on the night tables... look closer...

HOW FABULOUS?

(Sorry, you know I love lights.)

Do you have a favorite "find" or re-purpose?My favorite thing is when I find something that looks very ugly and it's like the ugly duckling..it turns in to a swan when it's done. I had this desk at my house in the basement for years and I was just so over the shabby chic French look on it I was ready to donate it. People would laugh and say how bad it looked. I suddenly got the idea to make it dark orange with silver details and use in my master bedroom. It's funny how my worst piece became one that make me smile when I see it.

Do you have a favorite space in your house?Any space that has received a makeover. My son's room is finished and is now almost our favorite space. The living room as soon it will be finished and the over sized rococo mirror and yellow curtain arrives I think will be my favorite space.And our sunny yellow foyer with the zebra and red chandelier makes me happy.

And check out her gorgeous home in Sweden, so bright and airy...

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not in design mode?

My other passion is acting and writing scripts, which I still keep my toes in. Get pretty obsessive about that too. Surfing and skiing and of course spending time with my son. Other than that I fear I'm in design mode all the time, it's always all around you to take in.

She really is quite the Renaissance girl, having worked in modeling, writing and acting to currently designing her own line of bedding which Marmalade Interiors will be selling soon...